


Cap and Gown (plus some crayon)

by naega_star



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Gen, Kidfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-20
Updated: 2016-07-20
Packaged: 2018-07-25 14:56:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7537177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/naega_star/pseuds/naega_star
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little ficlet imagining EXO as kindergartners getting photos taken in tiny caps and gowns for kindergarten graduation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cap and Gown (plus some crayon)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a pic of small Chanyeol in a cap and gown. Literally just self-indulgent kidfic because kidfic is love.

When Lucky One Kindergarten decided to have a graduation photoshoot for the kids in full cap and gown, everyone thought it was a great idea. _“It’ll be so cute!”_ the PTA members had cooed, while the administration handed out leaflets on how much the little graduation garments and photo packages would cost. It wasn’t until the morning of picture day that the parents and teacher of the Clover class realized what a terrible mistake this idea was.

**6:23 am**

Sehun’s parents know something is wrong when their son tiptoes into their room, lip quivering and eyes looking anywhere but at them. 

“What’s wrong sweetie?” his mother asks, eyebrows furrowing as she blinks sleep out of her eyes and realizes little Sehun is just standing there in his briefs. “Where’d your pjs go?”

Sehun’s lip starts quivering more, voice shaky as he says something inaudible.

“Speak up champ,” his dad says, firm but encouraging.

“I...I went pee in the bed,” he chokes out, blinking back tears because he’s a big boy and he knows he’s not supposed to wet the bed anymore.

His mother gets out of bed, walking toward him to reach down and cup his cheeks. “It’s ok sweetheart, you’re trying your best.”

Sehun looks away and it’s only then that she notices the crumpled graduation gown clutched in his tiny fist, trailing the ground behind him. 

“Why...why do you have your gown sweetie?” she asks, a sinking feeling in her stomach as she awaits his answer.

“I...um...I used it as pjs…” Sehun murmurs, quiet as he waits for his mom to connect the dots. 

His mother looks back at Sehun’s father, already emerging from the bed with an outstretched arm.

“I’ll go put this in the wash, you go get cleaned up with mommy ok buddy?” he says, ruffling Sehun’s hair, letting him know they’re not upset, and smiles as Sehun’s face brightens for the first time all morning.

**6:55 am**

“Jongdae please just put on your gown,” his father groans, exasperation clear in his voice. His son is running about the house, flitting from one room to the other whenever he hears his father’s footsteps.

“DON’T WANNA,” he screams (he’s always _screaming_ ), laughing as he successfully evades his parent again. Another 15 minutes of chase finally end with a squirming Jongdae in his father’s arms as he scoops him up and sits him on the bed, tickling his sides as distraction before pulling the gown down over his head. 

Jongdae pouts a bit, but seems mostly resigned until he hears “now just wait a second so I can put on the cap…” at which point he takes off running and the chase—much to his father’s dismay—starts anew.

**7:10 am**

Jongin’s mother may cry. Jongin had begged for Western breakfast, so she’d made some toast, put out his favorite strawberry jam to spread on the his little triangle slices once they cooled down. She should’ve known that it would come to this, her frantically wiping the jam off the gown and praying the wet spot dried without leaving evidence of a stain.

Although she’s on the verge of tears, Jongin is perfectly calm sitting on the floor in a T-shirt, cotton shorts, and his graduation cap. A small “mama?” slips out of his mouth, getting her attention. “I’m sowwy mama…” he says, lip quivering. What is there to say to such a sincere apology but “it’s alright darling, this is almost good as new.”

 

**7:15 am**  
“Put. The marker. Down.” 

Tao giggles as he looks at his mother from across the living room. He has his graduation gown spread out on the floor, and several permanent markers around him, eager to decorate. 

“Tao,” his mother pleads, “I’ll get you some paper to draw on later, ok? Right now just put the marker down.”

Tao hums for a moment, looks like he’s considering it, when he suddenly brings the purple sharpie down and draws a long streak on gold sateen. 

His mother sighs as Tao hums happily, continuing to make artwork out of his gown. _“Perhaps,”_ his mother thinks, _“no one will notice if he wears it backwards.”_

**7:33 am**

“Mommy! Mommy look! Look mommy look!” Kris yells from the living room as his mom frantically packs his lunch, sandwich fixings spread out over the kitchen counter.

“Yes pumpkin?” she yells back to satisfy him, remaining focused on the task before her. 

“ _Reeeeeeaaaalllyyyyyy_ look,” he whines, causing his mother to look out towards the living room with a sigh.

“Okay Kris I’m looking, what is---GET DOWN FROM THERE!!!” she yells as, to her horror, her son is perched on top of a bookshelf, graduation gown billowing around him.

“I will! Look Mommy I can fly!!!” he says, and before his mother can finish getting out a “no, don’t!” he’s launched off the bookshelf and drops straight to the ground with an audible thump. 

She’s relieved to hear a small “I’m ok!” as she runs from the kitchen, and shifts her next worry to whether or not there’s blood on the overpriced sateen gown.

**7:55 am**

Junmyeon’s dad pulls up to the curb, automatically opening his minivan door to let his son and little Luhan, who lives next door, out on the sidewalk in front of their kindergarten. Their teacher is waiting out front, smiling and waving as the boys shove each other playfully, racing to be first out of the van. 

Used to less flowy clothing, Junmyeon pushes the latch to close the door behind him just a tad too soon, the automatic van door clamping on both his _and_ Luhan’s robes, strips of fabric tearing away as Junmyeon’s father drives off, unaware. 

The two boys look back at their robes and then at their teacher, eyes starting to tear up at the thought of disappointing her. 

She shakes her head and smiles, ushering them inside while beginning to wonder why anyone at the school thought this was a good idea.

**8:10 am**

Nineteen small children, soon-to-be first graders, sit in their semi-circles before their teacher, a sea of tiny gold blobs in their caps and gowns. The seven girls in the class look picture perfect, ready to make this kindergarten graduation album a success. The boys however...there are rips, partially removed stains, one that’s on backwards...at the very least there are still a handful of boys whose gowns are in mint condition.

“Okay kids, the photographer will call one person at a time. You can play here while you wait to take your picture, but _be careful_ ,” the teacher explains, wondering, despite the chorus of “yes teacher!”, whether any of the kids would heed her warning.

**8:25 am**

Baekhyun skips into the room where the photographer is set up, gown floating lightly with each step. He’s a happy child, grinning already, and the photographer thinks he’ll have an easy time with this one.

The photographer makes some adjustments, smiles at the small child. “Just take a seat on that block for me, okay?” He waits until Baekhyun’s in place, grin still glued to his face before he continues. “Now just look at this puppy and when I count to three I’ll take your picture.”

Baekhyun nods with understanding, eyes fixed on the stuffed puppy resting on the lens. The photographer says “1...2...3!” and clicks, just as Baekhyun stretches out his arms and makes what looks like an attempt at a menacing expression.

The photographer just looks at him blankly as the boy proclaims “I’m Batman!!!!” and slides off the block, making his way back to play with his classmates.

**8:31 am**

With their teacher busy, Chanyeol takes this chance to get out the fingerpaints. They’re only allowed to use them sometimes, when they wear their special smocks. The gold gowns they’re all wearing look like their special smocks anyway, Chanyeol reasons, albeit not purple, so it should be fine. 

In the few minutes it takes for their teacher to take one of the little girls to the bathroom, Chanyeol manages to get bright red fingerpaint all over his cap, his gown, and also on his hair. 

The teacher returns just in time to see him sitting there, tiny fingers coated in red as he blinks up at her with a wobbly “oops” grin on his face. 

**8:43 am**

The photographer sighs, trying to hide his frustration as he shakes the stuffed puppy resting near his camera. “Come on buddy, smile for the camera!”

Kyungsoo sits, staring at the camera with wide eyes and the same blank expression he’s had since walking into the room. 

“I’m gonna take the picture...I’m really gonna take it...smile on three ok! 1...2….3!” The shutter clicks, little Kyungsoo’s expression still unchanged. “Well...you’re all done kiddo,” the photographer says, waving him off.

“Thank you!” Kyungsoo replies, remembering his manners and bowing to the photographer before beaming up at him with the cutest, eye crinkling smile and running out to rejoin his friends. The photographer stands there, gobsmacked. 

**8:55 am**

_Glitter glue,_ the teacher thinks, _should be banned._ While she’d been doing her best to clean up Chanyeol’s hair and hands (the paint on the sateen of the cap and gown was, sadly, a lost cause), Minseok and Yixing had found their way into a whole different mess.

Their robes were no longer just gold, but covered with swirls of blue and green glitter glue from top to bottom. Surprisingly, they hadn’t made much of a mess of themselves, just some odd blobs of glitter on their fingertips. 

After all the other gown disasters, this really doesn’t seem so bad.

**One week later**

A week after the fateful picture day, the photographer forwards the photos to the school, organized by class. When the teacher of the Clover class opens her folder all she can do is laugh at the individual photos, all of her boys in some sort of disarray or making a wacky face. 

The group photo, taken last, shows a mix of clean and ruined caps and gowns, nineteen bright smiles in rows of ten and nine. It’s far from the perfect graduation photo the administration had planned for, but if nothing else it captures the spirit of the teacher’s favorite kindergarten class.


End file.
